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Frequently Asked Questions
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Where is the Library located?
When is the library open? / When is the library closed for holidays?
How do I get a library card?
Can I use cards from other libraries at Lockport Public Library?
What are the loan periods for the items I can check out of the library?
Do you have computers and/or typewriters I can use?
Do you have a meeting room for public use?
Are there volunteer opportunities at the Library?
Is there a Friends of the Library group?
Where can I donate new and used books, magazines, videos, and music CDs?
Does the Library accept monetary donations?
What is the Library's Mission?
How do I search the online catalog from home?
How can I renew my items online?
How do I place holds on items online?
Can I send a reference question via email?
Is there a Literacy Volunteers office at the Library?
What is the history of the Library?
Who are the members of the Library's Board of Trustees?

Where is the Library?
The library is located at 23 East Avenue, across the street from the Palace Theatre.  Click on map to see how to get to the library.  From Buffalo: I-90 East to I-290 West to I-990 North. I-990 North ends at Millersport Hwy. (Hwy. 263). Turn left on Millersport Hwy. Millersport Hwy. ends at Transit Rd. (Route 78). At Transit Road, turn left. Continue on Transit Road approximately 8 miles to Main Street. Turn right on Main Street. Continue on Main Street approximately one-half mile. Turn left onto Market Street. Make the second right into a large parking lot. From here you can enter the library through the Chestnut Street entrance.

When is the Library open?  When is the Library closed for holidays?

The Library is open Monday through Thursday, 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM; Friday and Saturday, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM; closed on Sundays.  The following holidays affect the library's regular hours:

HOLIDAY HOURS NEXT OCCURRENCE
New Year's Day
 CLOSED
 January 1, 2009
Memorial Day CLOSED May 26, 2008
Independence Day CLOSED July 4, 2008
day after Independence Day
 CLOSED
 July 5, 2008
Labor Day CLOSED September 1, 2008
evening before Thanksgiving CLOSE AT 5:00 PM November 26, 2008
Thanksgiving Day CLOSED November 27, 2008
Christmas Eve CLOSED December 24, 2008
Christmas Day CLOSED December 25, 2008
New Year's Eve
 CLOSE at 5:00 PM
 December 31, 2008

Do you have computers and/or typewriters I can use?
We have computers with Internet access and Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for public use. These are available on a first come, first served basis. See Using the Internet at the Library for more information.  

There are also computers available for children to use in the Homework Center; click here for more information.

We have a typewriter available for public use on Floor 2 near the Circulation Desk. It's not necessary to call ahead, but if you'd like to reserve a time to use the typewriter, please call the Circulation Desk at 433-5935 x0.

Do you have a meeting room for public use?
Yes, we do. Any local not-for-profit group may use the meeting room. The group cannot charge for the meeting, other than a small fee for refreshments, etc. Each group must fill out a meeting room application which must be approved by the Library Director or her designee. Library programming has first priority when scheduling the meeting room.

Are there volunteer opportunities at the Library?
Yes, there are. See the Friends of the Lockport Public Library section of our web site for more information.
 
Where can I donate new and used books, magazines, videos, or music CDs?
The Library gratefully accepts the donation of books and audiovisual materials. These items must be clean and in good condition. Each item will be evaluated for its suitability for the collection.  Please, do not donate textbooks or Reader's Digest Condensed Books to the Library as they do not sell at our used book sales. If you wish to donate textbooks, the following web site may be useful: http://ublib.buffalo.edu/hsl/donationprograms.html

No conditions may be imposed relating to any material after its acceptance by the Library. Items not added to the library collections may be turned over to the Friends of the Lockport Public Library for sale. The Friends of the Library hold two book sales annually in which donated materials are sold to benefit the Library.  (For information on monetary donations, please click here.)

Can I send a reference question via email?
The Lockport Public Library's Ask-A-Librarian reference service allows you to submit reference questions to a librarian via email. This service is limited to questions that can be answered with a short, factual response or suggestions for resources that may help you find what you need. For questions that require extensive time or research, please visit your local library. Also available is a live reference service, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!  It's called Ask Us 24/7.  To use these reference services, please click here.

Is there a Literacy Volunteers office at the Library?
Yes.  The Literacy Volunteers-Niagara County office is located on Floor 2 of the Library, near the East Avenue entrance. Their phone number is 433-7014. Their web site can be accessed by going to http://www.niagarareads.org/.

History of the Lockport Public Library

Lockport had the forerunner of a public library prior to 1847 when a legislative act established the Union School and provided for the consolidation of the seven school district libraries. The collection was housed in the office of the Superintendent of Schools, who doubled as a librarian. In 1891 the library was given first floor space in the new Union School on East Avenue. In 1892 the Board of Education adopted a resolution that the Lockport Public Library should continue as a free circulating library.

Starting with a collection of about 4,300 books and an income of a few hundred dollars a year, the library was circulating 20,000 books a year by 1900 and 36,000 by 1910. In 1919 a full-time librarian was appointed. The inadequate quarters of the library were strained during the depression years, and the circulation reached 163,000 in 1934. There was a definite need for a separate building for the Library. Two bequests helped fund construction and furnishings and provided the library's present site on East Avenue; dedication services were held in June of 1936.

In 1959 the Library became a member of the Nioga Library System, which provides central ordering and processing services to libraries in Niagara, Orleans, and Genesee Counties and enables members of any of these libraries to utilize collections of all other member libraries and other libraries in New York State through interlibrary loans. The Library became part of a six-member library association through the Nioga Library System which became computerized in 1986, making the collections of the member libraries immediately known to patrons throughout the system and greatly facilitating the sharing of resources.

In 1993, a Lockport City School District bond issue along with private donations enabled the Library to be renovated and expanded, increasing the usable space from 15,400 square feet to 36,200 square feet. A new north entrance was added to provide ground-level accessibility. The entire building was rewired to permit use of computers and other electronic devices. The additional space allowed for a public meeting room, a greatly expanded Youth Department, more seating space, an office for literacy programs, an entire floor for non-fiction/reference, a quiet study room, and a local history room. A dedication was held on February 13, 1994.

The Board of Trustees of the Library:
PRESIDENT:  Norman W. Sinclair
VICE PRESIDENT:   Nancy Kasprzak-Whitmore
SECRETARY:  Linda Van Buskirk
TREASURER:  Dorathy Gallo (not a Trustee)
 
   
 
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